Tour Guide – Night Sky Experience

About the role

The Dark Sky Project is seeking an enthusiastic Tour Guide to lead night‑sky experiences at our Astronomy Centre on the Takapō lakefront. You will combine guiding and driving duties, welcoming visitors and delivering memorable astronomy tours.

Key responsibilities

• Guide and drive visitors through immersive night‑sky tours, explaining Māori and Western astronomy.
• Welcome manuhiri with hospitality and ensure a safe, enjoyable experience.
• Perform routine vehicle inspections and maintain accurate driver logbooks.
• Collaborate with the team to uphold health, safety and quality standards.

Required profile

• Minimum 3 years experience in astronomy‑based guiding, science communication, visitor interpretation or tour guiding.
• Public speaking experience and a strong customer‑facing background.
• NZ Certificate or Diploma (Level 4+) in a relevant field, or equivalent overseas qualification.
• Valid NZ driver’s licence (or ability to obtain), P endorsement, Class 2 licence and First Aid certificate (or ability to obtain).
• Commitment to health and safety, strong time‑management and willingness to work shifts, nights, weekends and public holidays.
• Interest in correctly pronouncing Māori names; additional languages such as Japanese or Mandarin are a plus.

Required skills

What we offer

• Competitive hourly rate of $29–$31.
• Excellent training, staff discounts across Ngāi Tahu Tourism and a values‑based work environment.
• Opportunity to work in a unique, world‑class astronomy tourism setting.